VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - March 23, 2011) -
Attn: Vancouver Media Alert for Wednesday, March 23 2011, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
A media conference and public forum is being held against the backdrop of the 2011 National Metropolis Conference to update the media, activists, and organizations on the status of the precedent setting lawsuit against Denny's Canada restaurants in British Columbia.
The forum will also address systemic flaws in the federal government Temporary Foreign Worker Program, reinforced by upcoming regulatory changes.
| WHEN: |
| Wednesday, March 23, 2011 |
| 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. |
| WHERE: |
| Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre |
| Cracked Ice Lounge |
| 1088 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC |
| SPEAKERS: |
| Herminia V. Dominguez |
| Representative Plaintiff for the Denny's Class Action Lawsuit |
| Naveen Mehta, UFCW Canada |
| Lawyer, Director, Human Rights, Equity & Diversity |
| Maita Santiago, MIGRANTE B.C. |
| Representative |
| Christopher J. Foy, Kestrel Workplace Legal Counsel, Vancouver |
| Lawyer, Co-Counsel for the Denny's Class Action Lawsuit |
| Janet Dench, Canadian Council for Refugees |
| Executive Director |
BACKGROUND — Migrant workers recruited to Canada under the federal government's Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program have filed a $10 million class action suit against Denny's Canada restaurants in British Columbia, charging the company did not live up to the employment contract the workers signed before they arrived from the Philippines.
The lawsuit alleges the workers were required to pay approximately $6,000 each to an agency that was recruiting employees for the Denny's Canada locations in British Columbia operated by the Northland Corporation. It is also alleged workers did not receive the hours of work, overtime pay, air travel and other conditions they were promised. The suit has been filed in the B.C. Supreme Court on behalf of the migrant workers employed at Denny's from 2006 until the present.
THE DENNY'S DEMO – SATURDAY, MARCH 26 at 11:00 a.m. — Throngs of community and social justice advocates, trade union members, students and academics will be participating in a loud yet peaceful march and demonstration to raise public awareness of the plight of migrant workers at Denny's Canada employed by the Northland Corporation.
The downtown Vancouver march and demonstration will take place on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. in front of Denny's Restaurant at 1098 Davie Street at Thurlow Street. More information will available at the Media Conference and Public Forum.
| For more information or to set up interviews please contact: |
| Jane Ordinario, Migrante BC, 604.254.5850 |
| Leo Alejandria, Migrante BC, 604.506.2207 |
| migrante_bc@ymail.com |
Contact Information: UFCW Canada
Joyne Lavides
416.550.6011
joyne.lavides@ufcw.ca
www.ufcw.ca/socialjustice